What's in my oven?

In honor of Black History Month, my job is putting together a southern dish potluck. I automatically thought of dessert because I have a craving for peach cobbler. You can't get any more southern than that!

I searched around trying to find a good recipe and I think I found it: provided by kingarthurflour.com.

I used Arrowhead Mills all purpose flour instead of King Arthur flour and I also used frozen peaches. I waited to thaw them out and then drained the excess liquid.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Melt 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter in the bottom of an 8″ square or 9″ round baking pan. I conveniently threw mine into the preheating oven!
• To make the batter, combine 1 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Mix with 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add 3/4 cup milk and 1 large egg.(The mixture will have the consistency of thin pancake batter.)

To prepare the peaches, toss them with the following:1/2 cup sugar

·          

·         1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

·         a pinch of salt

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, followed by the peaches
• Distribute the fruit uniformly over the batter.

Bake the cobbler for about 40 to 45 minutes……or until the top is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Allow the cobbler to cool at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Just as the recipe says, it is very easy and fast! I had to keep it in the oven longer than 40 minutes though. And it kind of burnt on the edges but overall it was soooo DELICIOUS. 

Oh and by the way, I made this one for me and my hubby at home. This is why I dug in and made me a plate! I have one for my job that isn't gluten free in a separate dish. Hopefully that one is good because I can't taste it. 

XoXo,

Rebecca

Rant of the Day

 I've been noticing lately, the prices for some gluten free items in my local grocery store has begun to skyrocket out of control! I was at Publix doing some grocery shopping for my family. I wanted to stop and get some oatmeal for me to eat for breakfast. I stopped to see the quick pack instant oatmeal and my mouth dropped to the floor when I seen the ridiculous jump from it's usual price around $3.50-4.00 to it's now ridiculous price of $5 and some change. ( can't remember the change, I was in too much shock of seeing the number 5!) I think to myself, hey maybe it's just because it's the quick packs. So I walk further down to grab a bag of the rolled oats by Bobs Red Mill and I nearly almost fainted! Are you ready for this?  It was marked down for a whopping $7.49! Ahhhh!  I tried a health food store, Whole Foods, same thing! 

Publix.... Whole foods... what are you doing? I understand gluten free stuff may be a little more costly and takes more work to make, but seriously? Are you trying to make us gluten free people suffer. It's not like we're eating like this just because it is fun but because our health depends on it. All I want is to enjoy some lovely oats in the morning and not have to pay almost $8 for it. Times are hard, and that's just unacceptable. Get it together! 

Have you experienced the skyrocket prices lately? Share your thoughts. 

XoXo,

Rebecca

Secret Bandit!

I think the greatest thing about being gluten free is the fact that you HAVE TO be mindful of what you eat by reading your food labels. Since there is so many different foods out there that contain gluten, its important to keep your eyes open for those simple words: WHEAT and all its sources, Barley, rye, spelt, malt, vegetable protein, bran, and many others. But did you know there are hidden sources of gluten that may not stand out to the naked eye? One big ingredient that the food industry is starting to use A LOT of is Monosodium glutamate also known as MSG.  This is a food additive that is used to “enhance flavor.” There are tons of reasons why this is bad even for those that are not on a gluten free diet. (To learn more on these reasons, stay tuned for an article on my health blog @  healthcoach01.blogspot.com.)

MSG may derive from wheat! So it’s best to stay away from any and all processed foods containing this nasty bandit! And to all my Chinese food lovers, unfortunately, Chinese foods are saturated in MSG so it’s best to try to find a gluten free Chinese food option such as Pei Wei Asian Diner. 

XoXo,

Rebecca

Gluten Intolerance Vs. Celiac Disease

What's the difference? The treatment is the same....NO GLUTEN.  So it has to be the same thing. Right? WRONG!

Celiac Disease has been around for quite some time. Its an autoimmune disorder that causes a reaction to ingested gluten. With this ingested gluten, it signals your own body to start attacking the lining of your small intestines. This damage, if not stopped, can lead you to many complications.

Gluten Intolerance also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity is when your body initiates a direct attack to gluten. Just like I mentioned in my article "How it all started,"  once it enters into the bloodstream,  invader cells attack the foreign object. There isn't a direct attack to the intestines as those with Celiac Disease.

However the symptoms remain the same: bloating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and nausea. Other symptoms may include: joint pain, numbness in extremities, fatigue, skin rashes, and brain fog.

To be absolutely sure, check with your doctor to rule out Celiac Disease. So far, I do not believe they have created a test just for gluten intolerance. Many doctors even think that gluten intolerance is a myth. They think that it doesn't exist and that there is only Celiac Disease. My question for them would be, why would it be so hard to believe that a person's body can become allergic to gluten? A human body can reject just about anything. Especially when contaminated like most of our foods are.

To make sure you are intolerant, try the process of elimination for a short time frame and see how your body reacts. Your body will thank you!

XoXo,

Rebecca

Special Shout out

I wanted to take this time and thank Karen Broussard for giving me the opportunity to write a review for Baby Cakes NYC right here in my hometown of Orlando.

Karen Broussard is the president and founder of glutenfreetravelsite.com!

I live off of these websites and apps to help find me safe places to eat out! So of course I jumped on the opportunity to be of help to all my gluten free eaters that have a sweet tooth like me.

Thanks again Karen Broussard for asking me for my review and for creating such a resourceful site!

To check out my review, head on over to http://glutenfreetravelsite.com/Baby-Cakes/31/3991.php

Top Three of Gluten Free

On my gluten free journey, I have tried many new and exciting food products out there. I must say that 3 things have stuck with me and have become my ultimate favorites! You can find these products at your local health food stores. 

1. Udi's: A company that has dedicated their time in creating gluten free items that fulfill our every craving. I must say hands down, Udi's loaf of bread is the best by far. But one thing I couldn't live without is their pizza! On days where your having a party (like the SUPERBOWL) and you're ordering that yummy Papa Johns pizza for your guest, don't fret, grab yourself some Udi's pizza. It comes with options of other toppings. You won't miss out when you're eating the same thing as everyone else.
   
2. Gluten Free Multi Purpose Flour- I haven't tried most gluten free flours so I cant really compare. The first brand of flour I have tried was from Gluten Free Pantry. I thought I'd try all purpose flour first and so far it has worked great. I have baked cookies, pudding, a cake, and have even used it to thicken up some stew.
   
3. Gluten Free Cafe- When I feel ill and too tired and exhausted to cook, I grab a couple cans of soup. Not bad at all. Except for the sodium content, its almost as good as my own home cooked soup that my husband loves so much. 
   

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you thought about them. 

"How it all started"

I have been going strong on my new gluten free way of life for 1 solid year. And I can proclaim the wonders it has done for me and my digestive health. I am a BIG TIME bread eater. Before going gluten free, I ate bread soooo much! I never stopped to notice the many symptoms that I'd experience after eating it until I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease which is an autoimmune disorder where your body is attacking it's own thyroid hormone. I never knew of this problem until I started complaining to my doctor that I have been and have always since I could remember felt fatigued ALL the time. And I was always very slow acting and just overall not feeling lively. They found the problem and noticed my thyroid antibodies were in the 600's (which the normal range is under 30). I was so alarmed because with numbers high like this, my own hormones would eventually start tearing into my thyroid. My doctor then expressed that I will need to be monitored since my antibody levels were so high but medication wasn't needed as of yet since my thyroid levels were still intact and ultrasound testing showed my thyroid was still in good health. He said once my thyroid starts becoming attacked, I will need to be placed on medications. And if anyone knows about thyroid medications, those are taken for life. 

I'm a big natural remedy girl. So I went home and googled remedies to heal Hashimoto's. And behold, I came across this word gluten. And I read that gliadin, which is the actual protein in gluten, mimics the thyroid gland! When gluten is then swallowed and digested, the gluten flows in the bloodstream causing the body to initiate the warrior antibodies to attack and destroy the foreigner. Pretty crazy huh? I then made a commitment to myself to at least try a gluten free diet for a month to try and see if I can improve my levels by diet alone. I did get my antibody levels down by half and my thyroid levels were still normal. 

So far, eating gluten free did not only help with my Hashimoto's, it has also helped with my overall state of health. My body is less fatigued, my stomach has shrunk down from all the bloating, my goiter (enlargement in your neck) has also shrunk down to non existent, and my digestive system is back in order. Not to mention, I feel like my skin and complexion has thanked me as well. 

Although I didn't stop eating gluten because I was diagnosed with an intolerance, I know that my body was under attack due to the gluten I was eating. Eating anything that you are intolerant to will eventually catch up to you and cause dramatic damage to your body. And I've noticed, when I get glutenized (accidently eat something with gluten or traces of it), my body is on shut down for a few days trying to restore itself. The bloating, cramps, nausea, and overall pain comes back and I'm sick until it passes through my system. This reaction alone keeps my willpower strong. And you need that willpower to restore your life back. If I can do it, so can you!

Want to know what gluten is, check out another post on my blogs archive!

XoXo,

Rebecca

"What is Gluten???"

Gluten. It's a new word that seems to have come out of no where. We hear of many people even celebrities talking about their new eating  habits. I, for one, am one of them. But what exactly is gluten anyway? When discussing with some family and friends that start to notice my "new" eating habits, they are all scratching their heads wondering "WHAT ON EARTH IS IT?"

To put it quite simply, gluten is a protein present in wheat and other cereal grains that gives it the elastic texture and helps the dough to rise and keep its form. Other grains would include barley, rye, and some oats. So think of gluten as the "glue" in basic bakery items. But not only is it found in food, but it's also found in many other products such as hair products, makeup, and facial products. Now why would these industries feel the need to put this in these products, something I have yet to understand.

Gluten free foods have been created for many people out there that have become intolerant to gluten. Although gluten sounds very important for any bakery side since it keeps its form, many non gluten eaters find gluten free foods unappealing. Yes, since the "glue" in gluten free breads and other items are taken out, it
does make the texture a lot more crumbly. But as in any new habit, it takes a while for your body to get use to it. (And not all of them come out crumbly.)

It does seem as though that being intolerant to gluten is becoming more popular over the past few years. Our food industry has been shoving wheat in our faces with all the bread, pizza, and just everything! Not to mention that the wheat, in itself, is not the purest form. The wheat nowadays have become polluted by all the herbicides and pesticides. The wheat has become contaminated by the whole process that it has been depleted from its nutrients. Its just not what it use to be. 

XoXo,

Rebecca